What Would A New 19-Mile Trail Look Like?

Remember when we told you that Travis County is putting a parks and roads bond on the ballot this November? Well today we’ve got a deeper dive into the issue.

Quick refresher in case you forgot – The Travis County commissioners (kind of like the City Council of the county) have decided to put a $185 million transportation and park bond on the ballot. As the Austin American-Statesman reports, the bond is estimated to cost the average homeowner about $24 a year.

If approved by voters (that’s you), one of the major projects that the bond will fund is the creation of the 19-mile Gilleland Creek Greenway, an initiative that Charles Bergh of Travis County Parks has called a “game-changer.”

So what exactly is this greenway project?
The county has had its eyes on the land surrounding Gilleland Creek for a while now. With the help of money from previous bonds, they have managed to purchase about 70 percent of the necessary land to complete the project. If this bond is passed, $7 million will go toward finishing acquiring all the land they need, as well as funding the design of the greenway. If all goes according to plan, in 2021, the county will have another bond election to help fund the actual construction of the greenway.

What will it look like when it’s complete?
If the project gets funded, once it’s complete it will allow you to walk or ride your bike 19 miles without crossing a single road. It will also connect to nearby bike trails, further extending the region’s bicycle network. The greenway will start at Northeast Metro Park and extend all the way to the Colorado River. As Bergh told the Austin EcoNetwork, it will also mark a big change for the typically underserved east side of the county, bringing in a major amenity and boosting the quality of life for nearby residents.